Valery Gergiev is considered to be one of the world’s leading conductors, whom the best orchestras and opera theaters want to cooperate with.
Valery Gergiev was born into an Ossetian family in Moscow on May 2, 1953. He got music education in the Leningrad Conservatory. At the age of 23 he won the Herbert von Karajan Conductor Contest in Berlin, and as a conservatory student yet was invited to the Kirov Theater.
At the age of 35 Valery Gergiev was elected the art director of the opera troupe, and since 1996 has been the art director and head of the Mariinsky Theater. Since 1997 he has been the chief invited conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Valery Gergiev conducts: The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphonic Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Opera Orchestra, The Covent Garden Theater, and La Scala.
Maestro Gergiev has a great number of awards and ranks. He is the People's Artist of Russia and twice the winner of the State Award of Russia, many times winner of Russia’s highest theatre award Gold Mask as to the best conductor of the year, holder of Dmitry Shostakovich Prize and the Gold Floodlight for the best conductorship. Valery Gergiev was awarded the title The Best Conductor of Year (Musical America - the USA, Independent, Evening Standard - Great Britain). In 2000 the maestro got the highest awards of Russia and the Republic of Armenia – the Friendship Award and Saint Mesrop Mashtots' Award.
"Valery Gergiev is the embodiment of inspired and restless energy …"
“Gergiev's merit is not only in opening the world of Russian music to the West, but also in making today’s troupe of the Mariinsky Theatre an amazing embodiment of the ensemble principles”. Guardian Weekly (of July 27 - August 2, 2000).